ability and intelligence

Question 1

what is spearmans model of g, apply to real life examples

Answer 1

Spearman’s g model (1904) posits that intelligence is a single, general mental ability (g) underlying all specific cognitive skills, inferred from consistent performance correlations across domains like verbal, numerical, and spatial abilities. This model uses factor analysis to identify g as a dominant factor explaining the variance in cognitive tasks - robust and empirically supported.

• spearmans gma demonstrates strong positive correlation between job performance and gma most relevant in high complexity roles correlates to high income and training success

education - demonstrates accuracy in predicting academic achievement and adaptability to abstract learning environments

conclusion - spearmans g model is a robust model for predicting job performance in various field however is an oversimplified model that simplifies the complexities of human cognitive abilities

Question 2

pros and cons of spearmans model. what are the implications for its utility

Answer 2

pros: empirical support, factor analysis consistently identifies g as a dominant cognitive factor
predictive validity - GMA reliably predicts job performance, academic success, and workplace adaptability, especially in high-complexity environments.

cons: oversimplification, for example thurstons model suggests multiple independent abilities
cultrual bias - intelligence tests made off language and cultural norms disadvantaging certain demographics of people
focus on maximum performance - test measure peak cognitive ability under ideal conditions ignoring external factors such as motivation and emotions

suggested or beneficial to use other models such as multiple intelligences and emotional intelligence to provide a more holistic view

Question 3

What is Thurstone’s Primary Mental Abilities (PMA) model, how does it differ from Spearman’s g, and what are its strengths, weaknesses, and applications?

Answer 3

thurstons pma - posits intelligence consists of multiple independent cognitive abilities
- verbal comprehension
- numerical ability
- reasoning
- spatial visualisation
thurstons model produces intelligence profiles
application - used in clinical assessments to identify strengths and weaknesses
organisational use - aligning strong areas to job demands e.g numerical ability to finance and reasoning for problem solving roles

pros - captures complexiy of intelligence by recognising diverese cognitive domains
- practical relevance - offers detailed profiles that can help match individuals to job roles

cons - resource intensive
- limited scope, the model overlooks non cognitive factors - emotional intelligence, creativity, motivation, social intelligence

conclusion - comprehensive and sophisticated view of individual intelligence by emphasis on specific ability making it super valubale for organisational purposes where the level of detail is needed. however its complexity, resource demand limit its widespread utility especially compared to the simplicity and predictive power of spearmans g model. pma depth spearmans model efficiency and generalisability

Question 4

define the two system models of intelligence, their application, critical evaluation and conclusion of both

Answer 4

gardners theory of MI
suggests intelligence consists of 8 factors, all independent of each other
- linguistic
- logical mathematical
- spatial
- musical
- interpersonal
- intrapersonal
- bodily kinesthetic

Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive, understand regulate and effectively manage emotiojns in oneself and others
key components like
- emotion recognition identifying facial expression and tone
- emotion regulation controlling ones responses
- interpersonal skills emotional awareness to navigate re3lations

gardners mi applications
- organisational training and development, team building by matching dominant intelligences. training that appeals to dominant intelligences
- career guidance - idetifying specific intelligeences to align roles to individuals

emotional intelligence applications
- leadership and teamwork,, leader high on ei foster collabaration, manage conflicts and maintain team morale
- customer service, high ei indicates good understanding of client emotions providing empathetic support

critical evaluations -
- gardners theory
: encourages a holistic view of intelligence more inclusive - enhances career alignment also
- lack of empirical support
- non standardised measures and oversaturated with intelligences conflating skills or talents with intelligence

emotional intelligence - extends traditional cognitive models to include emotional and social factors making them more practically applicable. highly relevant for jobs requiring interpersonal interaction
cons - lower predictive validity, self assesment so bias and lacks reliability. susceptible to faking

conclusion both models expan d understanding of intelligence by addresing non-cognitive dimensions. offers broader more inclusive frameowrk for recognising diverse abilities but lacks empirical support. good for career alignment and training. emotional intelligence is pratically valuable in leadership and social contexts but is prohibited/limited by measurement reliablity and predictive strength prone to faking. together they highlight the complexity of human abilities beyond structual models cognitive apporach and if used apporpriately can be effective tools for recruitment, career development, and workplace enviironment improvements.